This chicken meatball soup with barley tastes similar to an Italian Wedding Soup, but is much more hearty, healthy, and flavourful! It makes the perfect balanced and comforting dish that’s kid-friendly too!
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Soup is one of my favourite meals to make for the family because the protein, grains and vegetables are cooked up all in one pot so it makes for a super easy and balanced meal with minimal clean up.
We’re a big fan of meatballs in our family so this chicken meatball soup has become a really popular option on the menu. It resembles an Italian wedding soup, but is even healthier, and the kids always devour it!
The mini chicken meatballs are especially fun for kids and the fibre-rich barley and veggies make it really satisfying.
This soup is super easy to prepare, and the flavours are so warming and hearty. The perfect comforting meal for those cooler days!
For more tasty soups, be sure to try my Chicken Potato Soup and Healthy Chicken Noodle Soup Recipe too!
Table of Contents
Why we love this Vegetable Barley Soup with Meatballs
- Filling: One serving of this soup contains 30 grams of protein and 8 grams of fibre so it will keep you feeling satisfied for hours. Barley is packed full of soluble fibre, which can help to fill you up and also assist in lowering cholesterol too.
- Make ahead: Make up a big batch of this soup and enjoy it throughout the week. It’s also freezer-friendly so great for meal prep!
- Kid-friendly: Sometimes it can be tough to get kids to eat their veggies and protein, am I right? The mini meatballs in this soup are perfect for little mouths and the vegetables are cooked until they’re nice and tender, so they’re easy to chew and blend in nicely with the rest of the soup. The barley tastes almost like small pasta so it’s always a tasty addition. All around, it’s a great soup for kids!
Ingredient Notes
For the Meatballs
- Chicken: Use extra lean ground chicken to form the meatballs. You can also sub in ground turkey, pork or beef if you prefer.
- Egg: Used to help bind the ingredients together. You can leave it out if you require the recipe to be egg-free.
- Seasonings: Garlic, oregano, parsley, salt and pepper are used to flavour up the meatballs.
- Almond Flour: I love using almond flour in meatballs as they lend a nice flavour and texture and also add in some extra healthy fats. You can also sub in panko or breadcrumbs.
- Parmesan: Use freshly grated parmesan for the best flavour. Pre-grated can be quite dry and may result in a grainy texture.
For the Soup
- Vegetables: Onion, carrots, celery are used as the veggies of choice to keep this soup simple and kid-friendly. Feel free to add other vegetables such as mushrooms and spinach if desired.
- Seasonings: Thyme, salt and pepper are used to flavour the soup. Adapt according to personal taste preferences.
- Chicken broth: I use a low sodium chicken broth to reduce the sodium content. If you use regular, then adjust the added salt. You can also use vegetable stock if preferred.
- Barley: Barley is a fibre-rich grain that tastes great in soups. It soaks up the flavours from the soup and makes it extra hearty. You can also sub in a small pasta, quinoa or Israeli couscous.
Step by Step Instructions
- Step 1 – Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Step 2 – In a large bowl, combine all of the ingredients for the meatballs.
- Step 3 – Form into balls approximately 1/2 inch in diameter. The mixture should make about 35-40 mini meatballs.
- Step 4 – Place on baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes.
- Step 5 – Meanwhile, heat oil in a large stockpot over medium heat. Add onion, carrots, celery, and thyme. Cook until fragrant and starting to soften, about 3 to 4 minutes.
- Step 6 – Add chicken broth and bring to a boil.
- Step 7 – Add the barley and lower to a simmer for 25 minutes.
- Step 8 – Add the meatballs and cook for an additional 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Garnish with freshly grated parmesan cheese, if desired.
Recipe Tips
- If you let the soup sit for a few hours, you’ll notice that the barley absorbs quite a bit of broth. You may wish to add more broth to the soup, especially if consuming as leftovers. Alternatively, if cooking this soup in advance, you can cook the barley separately and add it just before serving.
- If serving this chicken meatball soup to little ones, I like to slice the carrots and then quarter them so that they’re smaller and easier to chew.
- I generally make mini meatballs for this soup to make it more kid-friendly, however you can make the meatballs larger if preferred.
- To save on prep time, make up a batch of the meatballs in advance and freeze for later. When ready to make the soup, add the frozen meatballs at the same time you add the barley to allow them time to thaw.
- We like to freeze this soup in these Souper Cubes for individual portions that can be easily served as a quick and easy lunch or dinner when pressed for time!
Recipe FAQs for Meatball Barley Soup
You can use either pearl or pot barley for this soup. They taste pretty much the same, however, their nutritional benefits and cooking times do vary slightly.
Pot barley only has the outer husk removed, making it a higher fibre more nutritious option, but it does take longer to cook.
Pearl barley tends to be more refined since it’s both husked and polished, but requires a shorter cooking time. It’s a personal preference which barley you choose to use for this soup.
Make up a big pot of this soup and enjoy it throughout the week. Once made, let the soup cool completely and store it in the fridge covered or in an airtight container. It will keep well for up to 4 days.
Yes! This chicken meatball soup is great for freezer meals. Let the cooked soup cool and store in an airtight container. It will keep well for up to 3 months. Thaw the soup in the fridge overnight before reheating.
Reheat this soup on a medium heat in a pot on the stovetop. Barley is quite absorbent, so you may want to add in a little extra stock or water to loosen it back up. Take care to only reheat the chicken meatballs once.
Serving Suggestions
This chicken meatball soup is one hearty and filling meal all by itself. It’s also great served with some crusty bread or crackers, or paired along with one of these vegetable sides or salads:
Recipe Variations for this Barley Soup Recipe
- Veggies: Add spinach, kale or mushrooms.
- Protein: Instead of ground chicken, you can also use ground turkey, beef, pork or sausage.
- Herbs and spices: Top with fresh basil or a sprinkle of red pepper flakes for a kick.
- To make vegetarian: Add white beans or lentils instead of meatballs.
- To make gluten-free: Use quinoa or gluten-free pasta instead of barley.
More similar recipes
- Healthy Chicken Soup
- ABC Soup
- Easy Low Carb Meatballs {Freezer-Friendly}
- Mexican Meatball Soup
- Italian Sausage Soup
- Chicken Quinoa Meatballs
- Asian Beef Meatballs with Thai Coconut Sauce
- Beef & Barley Soup
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Chicken Meatball Soup
Ingredients
For the meatballs:
- 1 1/2 lbs extra lean ground chicken
- 1 large egg
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 1/2 cup almond flour (or sub in panko or regular bread crumbs)
- 2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh parsley
- 1/3 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
For the soup:
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 small onion diced
- 2 medium carrots diced
- 3 celery stalks diced
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 8 cups low sodium chicken broth
- 3/4 cup uncooked barley
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Freshly grated parmesan cheese to garnish optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, combine all of the ingredients for the meatballs. Form into balls approximately 1/2 inch in diameter. The mixture should make about 35-40 mini meatballs. Place on a baking sheet about an inch apart and bake for 20 minutes.
- Meanwhile, heat oil in a large stockpot over medium heat. Add onion, carrots, celery, and thyme. Cook until fragrant and starting to soften, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add chicken broth and bring to a boil.
- Add the barley and lower to a simmer for 25 minutes. Add the meatballs and cook for an additional 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
- Garnish with freshly grated parmesan cheese, if desired.
Notes
- If you let the soup sit for a few hours, you’ll notice that the barley absorbs quite a bit of broth. You may wish to add more broth to the soup, especially if consuming as leftovers. Alternatively, if cooking this soup in advance, you can cook the barley separately and add it just before serving.
- If serving this recipe to little ones, I like to slice the carrots and then quarter them so that they’re smaller and easier to chew.
- I generally make mini meatballs for this soup to make it more kid-friendly, however you can make the meatballs larger if preferred.
- To save on prep time, make up a batch of the meatballs in advance and freeze for later. When ready to make the soup, add the frozen meatballs at the same time you add the barley to allow them to thaw.
- We like to freeze this soup in these Souper Cubes for individual portions that can be easily served as a quick and easy lunch or dinner when pressed for time!
Nutrition
This recipe was originally posted April 2017 and was updated September 2021 to include better tips and photos.
This post may contain affiliate links which means that I may make a small commission at no extra cost to you. I only promote products that I love and feel will benefit my readers :)
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